LINK TO PAX EAST STREAM

[Mazisky]

During the stronghold part, in which u could manually resolve a random combat, i noticed a kinda "ghouls invading the main hall" or something, it would be nice to have random fights on keep interiors!

Edited March 7, 2015 by Mazisky

[Doxy]

I like how combat was decently paced. Dungeon looked amazing and the VO was just right.

What i noticed tho, is that alot of the companions had 2h weapons equiped. 

Hope they'll buff 1h weapons till release.

[Stun]

There's that feeling again. That super powerful sales pitch that isn't a sales pitch at all, but a cruel and palpable taunt directed at our souls.

 

I bet they're done with the game. They're just sitting on it for 3 more weeks to troll us. Bastards.

 

Game looks better than the last stream

Every iteration has been significantly improved from the last. From just a cursory view I spotted quite a few improvements from BB 435. The combat log is much easier on the eyes. Shapeshifting looks terrific. There are character portraits we haven't seen before. etc.

 

You know, this is my first "insider" experience with the polish process of a video game, so maybe this is something that always happens, but they seem to be working really fast with the fine tuning and the bug fixes. It's amazing to watch.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Stun

[Sensuki]

Combat is actually resolved a lot quicker than that if you actually use your active abilities and set up an opening of the encounter. Josh was playing fairly lax in comparison - not assigning characters initial opening actions and not using his per-encounters.

 

I think the demo was fine for the stream, but combat is actually a lot quicker than that if you apply a smidgen of effort/attention.

[MasterPrudent]

Combat is actually resolved a lot quicker than that if you actually use your active abilities and set up an opening of the encounter. Josh was playing fairly lax in comparison - not assigning characters initial opening actions and not using his per-encounters.

 

I think the demo was fine for the stream, but combat is actually a lot quicker than that if you apply a smidgen of effort/attention.

Every time they present Pillars at cons they get people worried about how much pausing goes on in combat. I wouldn't be surprised if Josh was minimising his use of per encounters in order to spend less time with the game paused.

[SkySlam]

Is there a video somewhere featuring the stream for those of us who just missed it? 

[Sensuki]

Every time they present Pillars at cons they get people worried about how much pausing goes on in combat. I wouldn't be surprised if Josh was minimising his use of per encounters in order to spend less time with the game paused.

That was my thinking as well. Definitely a good idea to mask it 

Edited March 7, 2015 by Sensuki

[Stun]

Is there a video somewhere featuring the stream for those of us who just missed it? 

http://www.twitch.tv/pax2/b/633843773

 

Scroll to about 6:18:16 to begin it.

[GreyFox]

Combat is actually resolved a lot quicker than that if you actually use your active abilities and set up an opening of the encounter. Josh was playing fairly lax in comparison - not assigning characters initial opening actions and not using his per-encounters.

 

I think the demo was fine for the stream, but combat is actually a lot quicker than that if you apply a smidgen of effort/attention.

 

I guess they want combat to be over this fast or have they said anything about slowing it down a bit more?

[Nonek]

Thank you Mr Stun, much appreciated.

[Sensuki]

It's mostly just an issue of the percentage of endurance that per-hit damage represents. They've made it difficult for themselves to balance due to using integer DR and percentile damage bonuses, along with how Constitution works (only attribute that scales with level and differently for different classes). Enemies also have rudimentary AI and don't use potions or anything like that.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Sensuki

[Lychnidos]

It is nice to see Hiravias' previous life's love of landscapes and starry nights fulfilled again by him becoming a druid, but it seems some other nastier habits are hard to give up. 

[ManifestedISO]

 

Combat is actually resolved a lot quicker than that if you actually use your active abilities and set up an opening of the encounter. Josh was playing fairly lax in comparison - not assigning characters initial opening actions and not using his per-encounters.

 

I think the demo was fine for the stream, but combat is actually a lot quicker than that if you apply a smidgen of effort/attention.

 

I guess they want combat to be over this fast or have they said anything about slowing it down a bit more?

 

 

The Q&A after the gameplay answers this. 

[GreyFox]

It's mostly just an issue of the percentage of endurance that per-hit damage represents. They've made it difficult for themselves to balance due to using integer DR and percentile damage bonuses, along with how Constitution works (only attribute that scales with level and differently for different classes). Enemies also have rudimentary AI and don't use potions or anything like that.

 

So they need to switch to non percentages then...did they ever say why they did that?

[Sensuki]

Slow mode is not the answer though.

 

So they need to switch to non percentages then...did they ever say why they did that?

I am not sure. There are many factors at play. It's going to be a thing to assess after the full game comes out. There's no reason adjustments can't be made post-release - look at Divinity and Wasteland 2. WL2 is revamping their entire character system.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Sensuki

[Stun]

And one more thing to take out of this.

 

Aloth is the spiritual successor to NWN2's Sand.

 

I approve.

[Sensuki]

Who wrote Sand?

[Freshock]

Will there be a youtube of this when they wrap up?  Not a huge fan of twitch.tv

 

Edited March 8, 2015 by Freshock

[GreyFox]

 

 

Combat is actually resolved a lot quicker than that if you actually use your active abilities and set up an opening of the encounter. Josh was playing fairly lax in comparison - not assigning characters initial opening actions and not using his per-encounters.

 

I think the demo was fine for the stream, but combat is actually a lot quicker than that if you apply a smidgen of effort/attention.

 

I guess they want combat to be over this fast or have they said anything about slowing it down a bit more?

 

 

The Q&A after the gameplay answers this. 

 

 

Slow mode isn't the answer and is a wasted feature for live gameplay...maybe they needed it for testing purposes or something but...yea no...that's not a real thing to me.

[Sensuki]

Slow mode is good for people who find the pace of assigning actions too quick or don't like to pause. Slow mode does not change the fact that units die very quickly.

[Stun]

Who wrote Sand?

Don't know.

 

He's on Facebook. Ask him. lol

[Mazisky]

Combat is generally fast, yeah, but i have to say that the last fight lasted quite long, probably with a non overpowered party (like that one for stream purpose) could last even longer

[ManifestedISO]

boo, nvm

Edited March 8, 2015 by ManifestedISO

[Quadrone]

There's that feeling again. That super powerful sales pitch that isn't a sales pitch at all, but a cruel and palpable taunt directed at our souls.

 

I bet they're done with the game. They're just sitting on it for 3 more weeks to troll us. Bastards.

 

I have it from a credible source that the Eternity team is actually mostly lazing around these days, watching movies and ordering pizza.

Except when one of them has get up to troll the forums with some story how there's a bug with the BB and there will be no update this week, all the while giggling like crazy.

[Osvir]

 

 

 

Combat is actually resolved a lot quicker than that if you actually use your active abilities and set up an opening of the encounter. Josh was playing fairly lax in comparison - not assigning characters initial opening actions and not using his per-encounters.

 

I think the demo was fine for the stream, but combat is actually a lot quicker than that if you apply a smidgen of effort/attention.

 

I guess they want combat to be over this fast or have they said anything about slowing it down a bit more?

 

 

The Q&A after the gameplay answers this. 

 

 

Slow mode isn't the answer and is a wasted feature for live gameplay...maybe they needed it for testing purposes or something but...yea no...that's not a real thing to me.

I think Scout mode is the answer. Having combat animations occur in the scout mode phase instead of the "Run Anim". If the characters are running and they spot enemies, they would enter scout mode and walk like they do in scout mode. This would make Wild Rush more significant and other mobility skills. Essentially, lower the movespeed of the characters and tune it with the attack speed of all characters/actors.

 

So, presumably, these would be the components that'd have to be worked on if interesting/inspiring:

- Create a Scout Mode Combat Animation variation.

- Combat occuring in Scout Mode Combat Animation (This decrease the pace, and more immersion).

- Balance move- & attackspeed of actors (and different variations of them) with the new pacing.

 

Following (Spoilers) is brought to you by Dreams & Visions, and is a Brains & Storms approved message:

 

 

- Walking & Running animation in-doors and in safe areas. Sheathed weapon (Towns, Houses, No hostility)

- Automatic scouting animation based on character's skill values (Toggleable, but a character in danger would go into Scout mode automatically again, or simply disallow it if there's danger nearby).

- In Safety (Outdoors): Running/Exploring animation (Sheathed weapons)

- In Safety (Indoors): Walking animation (Sheathed weapons)

- In Danger (Anywhere): Enter scout mode/readied mode animation (Pulls out weapons).

- New/updated general animations and dice rolls (A character could run up to a targeted enemy or sprint forward, and increase chances with more talents or innate class/character abilities, maybe even leap forward, or force it with abilities such as "Wild Sprint" or "Escape". Blood Bowl serves as a good inspiration, where every step taken is a dice roll, but not as cruel).

- (Skill) Survival (Expansive)

With a keen sense of surroundings, it makes the character automatically enter Scout mode when spotting enemies in an invisible AoE radius*.

 

- (Skill) Leadership (Addition)

Increases the character's sense of duty to his or her comrades, and can "taunt" adjacent enemies targeting an ally, and adds a standard-chance to enter Scout mode when another ally does, and a low-chance to make all characters enter Scout mode when he/she does**.

 

- (Talent) Tracking (Addition, Req. 10 Survival)

Adds the ability to sense enemies from further away through the Fog of War (+2 Survival for a short duration, and adds either a pulsating light where enemies were heard, smelled or briefly sensed/spotted. The light won't follow patrolling enemies).

 

*Range centered on character and based on tunnels, type of area, smell, sight. Harder to spot an enemy in a blizzard by sight, and hard to smell in a most gross and distasteful sewer, or in the midst of night and so on. Can't spot through a wall (if the path snakes back to the start, but there's no way any sight or smell could come through, unless the character is a Cipher...

 

- (Cipher Talent) Sense Soul (or Sense Manifest)

The Cipher becomes capable of sensing the souls of entity's around him or her and can see even the color of their soul (X range invisible AoE around the Cipher, Modal Out of Combat, personality/monster types having different types of color e.g. "Aggressive" = "Red", "Yellow = Neutral". Moods).

 

**Because this "in spoilers" idea is emphasized on Scout mode, and that I believe combat would pace better if there was an animation state for it. Instead of having a character run from point A to Point B when spotting an enemy, the character would "walk" towards the enemy, I think they'd look more stable and centered in their bodies as well.

 

With an automatic scout mode/skill instead of a button, it could look really cool as well. At first you run, and as you walk closer towards hostiles, your character would bow down and start "stealthing" mid movement. The Mechanic Skill could have the same addition/expansion to it even, and make the character move slower and slower as they get closer to a trap radius. This could make traps even more scary, especially on a high-difficulty, where the red glow could be removed as a helper. And the disarming phase being walking a Mechanic slower and slower as you try to pin-point where the trap is.

 

I can imagine the pacing like this would be nice:

- Exploring, running

- One character can sense an enemy and enters scout mode as the party moves.

- (Player Input) Notices and makes all characters enter scout mode.

- Player doesn't notice, but the Leader notices, enters scout mode, and then all characters enter scout mode (d20 convenience, in example).

- Enemies spotted, and combat begins where the characters move by walking with their swords out towards the enemy instead of running up to them.

 

There's more benefits:

- Enemies get more space on the "stage", and is allowed to take more space on the "stage". Currently, an enemy is spotted, and they don't get much time to move or position themselves as you can "clip" them off easily by running into position. If the characters were more wary, slower, and walking/scouting, they wouldn't move fast enough all the time to take all the screen estate. Currently, the Player party takes up most screen estate, making enemies incapable of doing anything.

- More Enemy AI scripts to play with, because more room to move enemies before the party gets to them. Some enemies would be faster than the party, some enemies at the same speed and some even slower than the party. A spider could be fast and be capable of encircling the party if they get within range and "snap" at the party, an ogre could be slower and each hit stuns or knockbacks party members (depending on "slam" or "swing").

- More Mobility Abilities to play with. A Wizard ending up in the front line, could use the "switch places" spell. Escape gets more value, Wild Rush, Self-Cast buffs. And so on.

 

All of this, lots and lots of work, but well, yeah... the idea bank has no limit